I'm curious what would happen to a person if they were to focus on their passion at least once a day for an entire year. So, I am making this commitment to the world that I am going to focus on my passion, fly fishing, at least once a day for an entire year.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Day 76 - Tools of the Trade

We fly anglers are a sight to be seen and often draw curious crowds when we invade "non trout waters". Of course we're pretty easy to spot among the crowd. We're the ones with clanking vests, dragging nets, bulky waders, funny hats, and a curious love affair with bugs. We can't pass a stream without thinking, "That bend beneath the tree looks like a good trout hole." And we often voice these ponderings out loud, making anyone in our company wonder if we're truly engaged with their conversation.

We're anglers and we spend our money on simple things like mitten hemostats or a can of silicone fly line dressing. If we were bass or walleye anglers we'd save up for a new bass boat. But we're fly fishermen (and women) and the places we tend to fish would tear up a bass boat. A drift boat might not be out of the question though.

Still we tend to spend our money on the trinkets and classify them under the guise that they are tools of our trade. A new fly box, a tippet holder, clip-on magnifiers, stomach pumps, thermometers, new net, magnetic attachment for nets, wading staffs, hemostats... somehow we must own them. I think the underlying thought is that either it will allow us to catch more fish or understand fish better so that... we can catch more fish.

To be honest, I like to catch fish and if there is something that will give me a better edge in that pursuit, well sign me up. Maybe that is why I clank when I walk and draw curious stares, because I'm looking for that edge. I'm OK with that... so long as I catch more fish.

1 comment:

Darn..my whole comment just got sucked into the abyss of comment black holes~ Anway, the short version. I LOVE my trinkets as well. My little fly bag is stuffed full with anything and everything I could possibly need. My daughter loves going through it asking, "what is this, what is that" My little treasure bag~